Full-time job gardener in an eco-learning center in Peloponnese, Greece

Hopeland is an educational eco-community dedicated to sustainable living, non-formal education, and care for the environment. As an NGO, we use experiential learning to empower people and communities while encouraging a lifestyle in harmony with nature.

As a gardener, you are becoming part of the core team of Hopeland and will join the community, consisting of permanent residents and long-term volunteers.

Your responsibilities will be:

• Embracing the permaculture approach with a self-driven learning mindset
• Maintaining and developing the gardens and the trees
• Coordinating the planting and harvesting tasks
• Managing the composts
• Managing the water systems
• Cooperating with other roles for an efficient yield management
• Guiding volunteers on gardening tasks
• Managing the gardening budget
• Engaging in community meetings, routines, and daily tasks

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Experience and passion for gardening
• Basic practical knowledge of the permaculture approach
• Guiding groups and individuals through gardening tasks
• Self-motivated and adaptable to new challenges
• Accountable and able to take initiative
• Capacity and eagerness to work and live in a communal environment
• Able to cooperate and communicate with others
• Long-term engagement in the position
• Owner of a driver's license
• Fluent in English; Greek proficiency is a plus
• Able to start an employment contract or some other legal way to get compensated

What we offer you:

• Monthly gross wage: 880€ (before taxes and social contributions). According to Greek labor law, this includes mandatory health and social insurance coverage. In addition, employees receive two extra monthly wages per year, typically as Christmas and Easter bonuses.
• Coverage of accommodation and food costs
• A dynamic working and living environment based on the values of accountability, synergy, and sustainability
• A community setting managed by initiative, self-management, and cooperation
• Development of hands-on expertise in permaculture

We usually work 5 days a week, 7 hours a day. During the project season, we follow a common schedule. In hibernation, schedules are more flexible, as long as the hours are covered. Days off are arranged together as a crew, making sure tasks are covered while giving everyone the rest they need.

Before starting the role, there is a 2-month orientation period. Its purpose is to give both you and the community the chance to get to know each other, understand how we live and work, and see if the collaboration feels like a good fit.

Here’s how we imagine it:

• We cover your arrival travel expenses
• First month: on a voluntary basis, where you shadow the current role-holder, explore the daily life of Hopeland, and let us get to know you
• Reflection meeting with the crew at the end of the first month to decide how we proceed
• Second month: if we continue, you step fully into the role, take on responsibilities, and receive your salary and benefits
• Final reflection meeting at the end of the second month. If we all feel aligned, you officially become part of the Hopeland crew.

We’ve prepared an infopack with everything you need to know about Hopeland before applying: our vision, mission, values, policies, daily life, and what it means to be part of the crew. You can read it here: http://bit.ly/HopelandJobs_info

If what you read resonated with you, fill up this form: https://bit.ly/HopelandJobs_apply. If we sense a potential match, we will reach out for a video call or an in-person meeting. If we reach a mutual agreement, we will invite you for a 2-month trial period to live and work with us, and then see how it goes. The trial period will occur from mid-October to mid-December, starting the job officially by January 2026.

Fluent in English

Greek proficiency is a plus